Horry County Fire Rescue hiring new specialists in wake of opioid epidemic

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – The Horry County Fire Rescue team is looking to add two new positions to its team to try and help curb the opioid epidemic.

The agency is hiring two Harm Reduction Specialists.

The new specialist will follow up with patients who have suffered an overdose, were administered Narcan and want to get back on track or are dealing with mental health-related issues.

“These hands-on, holistic providers will no doubt make major impacts on the lives of the residents and guests of Horry County,” the agency stated.

The city of Myrtle Beach has a similar program called COPE, which stands for Community Outreach Paramedic Education. The team is made up of the fire department, police department, the Department of Health and Environment Control and other agencies to help with drug addiction.

The COPE team keeps a list of people who have received Narcan and visits their homes within 72 hours of an overdose.

The Horry County Fire Rescue Harm Reduction Specialists will work under the Assistant Chief of EMS Operations.

According to the agency, those who are hired will respond to incident referrals, provide after-incident care, collect data and work with other people in the community to reduce harm in Horry County.

CLICK HERE to apply for the position.